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LAD Makes Unreal Homemade Custom Wood Burners Based On Films

Mark McGowan

Last updated 4:44 PM, Thursday September 06 2018 GMT+1

Wood burners aren't exactly a necessity for every garden but they do have their uses.

If you need to burn a lot of stuff, or enjoy sitting in front of a fire, then they're perfect for you. However, there's one guy who's taking them to the next level by building custom burners in the style of the likes of Darth Vader, the Witch-King from Lord of the Rings, Batman, Predator and Optimus Prime.

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Not only are they sick but they're also mesmirising. Credit: Supplied

Alex Dodson is the man with the plan. He's a former teacher who quit his job to pursue the wood burner game as a career, creating Burned by Design HQ, based in Barnsley in the north of England, to ship them to people around the globe.

He quit his job simply because of the realisation of the success he could make out of his skills. You really can't blame him.

"I've made hundreds. I ship them all over the world as far as Tasmania," Alex told LADbible. "I made my first one around three years ago and now I have an eight-week waiting list.

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"Most of the designs are made from unused LPG cylinders. I cut them up with my grinder and plasma cutter and weld bits together."

Credit: Supplied

And as complex as that actually sounds, from a DIY point of view, it's not too bad. Alex taught himself to weld by watching YouTube videos but, obviously, the hard bit is getting the designs spot on.

"It's mad, really. I'd have never have thought it [would happen like this]. I taught myself to weld watching YouTube," he said. "I design them all but I work on commission, so people send images of the characters they'd like making and if it's doable I'll give it a go.

"It takes around two to three days [to complete] if it's a new design, but I can smash a Batman out in about seven hours if I'm power welding."

Credit: Supplied

He added: "I charge a little more for custom designs as they take me longer to figure out as I design as I go.

"I don't like to use templates so everything I make is slightly different from the last.

"Our Batman is £349 plus shipping. Everything is made to order and can be personalised in anyway."

Credit: Supplied

And if you're into it, and fancy one of your own, he has a current price list:

Mark McGowan

Mark is a journalist at LADbible, who joined in 2015 after a year as a freelance writer. In the past he blogged for independent football fan channel Redmen TV, after graduating from Staffordshire University with degrees in journalism and English literature. He has worked on campaigns such as UOKM8? and IIOC.